Tigers nip Mariners, take series

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Seattle, WA (Sports Network) - Rick Porcello pitched 6 2/3 strong innings and
the Detroit Tigers held on for a 3-2 victory over Seattle in the rubber match
of a three-game series.

The Tigers rebounded from a 13-3 loss on Tuesday to win two of three against
the Mariners.

Porcello (1-2) moved to 3-0 lifetime against Seattle, allowing just one run on
four hits and a walk while striking out six. Ryan Perry and Joaquin Benoit
combined to pitch 1 1/3 scoreless innings and Jose Valverde earned his fourth
save despite surrendering a solo homer to Adam Kennedy in the ninth.

Ryan Raburn had a solo homer for Detroit in the first inning and scored the
eventual game-winning run on Brennan Boesch's single in the fifth.

Erik Bedard (0-4) continued to struggle for the Mariners, taking the loss
after giving up three runs in five innings. He surrendered five hits and five
walks, striking out two.

"I was a little inconsistent, but it's getting there," said Bedard, who missed
all of last season because of left shoulder surgery. "I don't know if it will
ever be like it used to be after three surgeries. You just work hard, do the
best you can, hopeful good things happen."

Kennedy sent Valverde's second pitch into the right field seats for his first
homer of the season, drawing the Mariners within 3-2.

Michael Saunders sliced a one-out double into the left field corner, putting
the tying run at second base, but Valverde painted the corner to strike out
Milton Bradley and fanned a swinging Carlos Peguero to end the game.

The Tigers finished 4-3 on a seven-game road trip and will head home for a
three-game weekend series with the White Sox.

"Winning road trip, so that was a huge win for us," said Detroit manager Jim
Leyland. "We could've done a little better, but to win the road trip, I'll
take it right now.

"We're still getting guys going and some guys aren't hitting yet, but I'll
take that, that was a big win."

The Mariners fell to 1-2 on a seven-game homestand that finishes with four
games against Oakland starting Thursday.

Raburn belted an 0-1 pitch over the center field wall -- and the glove of a
leaping Saunders -- to give Detroit a 1-0 lead in the first inning.

Bedard walked Austin Jackson to lead off the third inning and he came home on
Miguel Cabrera's two-out single, giving the Tigers a 2-0 lead. The Mariners
cut it to 2-1 in the bottom of the inning when Jack Wilson singled, moved to
second on a groundout and scored on Ichiro Suzuki's single.

Raburn drew another leadoff walk for the Tigers in the fifth, moved to second
on Cabrera's one-out walk and scored on Boesch's two-out single to make it
3-1.

Porcello, making his fourth career start against Seattle, worked into the
seventh inning. He walked Luis Rodriguez with one out, then threw two wild
pitches before striking out Peguero.

Perry came in, striking out Wilson to end the inning, and Benoit pitched a
1-2-3 eighth.

Game Notes

Both teams scratched out six hits and Kennedy was the only player with more
than one, going 2-for-4...Raburn hit his second homer of the season.